The Platform Sutra occupies a central place in Zen (Ch'an) Buddhist instruction for students and spiritual seekers worldwide. It is often linked with The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra to form a trio of texts that have been revered and studied for centuries. However, unlike the other sutras, which transcribe the teachings of the Buddha himself, The Platform Sutra presents the autobiography of Hui-neng, the controversial 6th Patriarch of Zen, and his understanding of the fundamentals of a spiritual and practical life.

Hui-neng's instruction still matters the 7th-century school of Sudden Awakening that he founded survives today, continuing to influence the Rinzai and Soto schools of contemporary Zen. Red Pine, whose translations of The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra have been celebrated and widely received, now provides a sensitive and assured treatment of the third and final sutra of the classic triumvirate. He adds remarkable commentary to a translation that, combined with the full Chinese text, a glossary, and notes, results in a Mahayana masterpiece sure to become the standard edition for students and seekers alike.

The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-nen, Red Pine, Counterpoint, Paperback, 346 pp, $18.95

RED PINE (Bill Porter) was born in Los Angeles in 1943, raised in northern Idaho, and lived in China for many years. His previous publications include The Heart Sutra, The Diamond Sutra, and The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain, as well as translations of works by Sung Po-Jen (winner of a PEN Center USA West award for translation) and Lao-tzu (finalist for the same award). He lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

CONTENTS: The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng
The Platform Sutra		1
Introduction		53
The Platform Sutra with Commentary		63
Appendix
I.	Additional Text	277
II.	Finding List	297
III.	Names, Terms, Texts, and Places with Chinese Equivalents	298
IV.	The Platform Sutra--Tunhuang Museum Text	320